Book Description
While surfers may look more relaxed than most, and may even be more relaxed, they are not exempt from the human desire to go higher, farther and faster. As the members of the developing surfing world of the early 1960s found themselves striving to surpass one another, and looking to quantify their most accomplished riders, the first surf contests were organized. These loosely arranged affairs had, as Shirley Richards (Ron's former wife) recently remembered, silk-screened T-shirts as their prizes. Pretty innocent stuff. At 27, as Ron Church strode forcefully into this arena, he had already accomplished a great deal, first as a jet test photographer, then as an up-and-coming (and ultimately much-awarded) underwater photographer. In his ongoing quest for new material, he brought to surfing a headful of new ideas, camera angles and lighting techniques, at the very moment these earliest contests arose, at the moment that surfing, which had been considered a somewhat off-center activity, began to organize itself and enter the mainstream. Although Church only actively photographed surfing and its surrounding lifestyle for a few short years, he was there at the beginning of its transformation into something big, and, as viewers will see, his documentation of its first contests--which were at once mundane and heroic--brought surf photography to another level. All but a few of these images are previously unpublished.
Book Description
A strong sense of nostalgia and a yearning for a simpler life are the accompaniments to the images in Don James's Pre-War Surfing Photographs. At the end of the Depression and before the beginning of WWII, James and a small group of friends lived a charmed life in Southern California. When school was out, they roamed the undeveloped Eden-like coast from Malibu to San Onofre, scraping together gas money for their worn jalopies, lugging 90-pound wooden boards to the ocean, sleeping in lifeguard huts and makeshift tent camps in the sand. They lived hand-to-mouth, plucking an endless supply of abalone and lobster from the ocean and raiding nearby orange and avocado orchards at night. What spending money they had came from guiding rumrunners to secluded coves, selling fresh fish to local restaurants, life guarding in posh beach clubs in Santa Monica, or acting as stuntmen and extras for Hollywood films. At that time, there were fewer than 200 surfers in the entire state, and James and his friends were inventing a beach/surf culture that would endure for decades. In 1936, at 16 years old, James began chronicling those days with his father's folding Brownie camera. For water shots, he would place the camera in a homemade semi-waterproof pine box, rest the box atop his board, and paddle out to the calm water adjacent to the surf. Focal range of the Brownie was limited, and James preferred to keep his frame uncluttered, so many of the photographs have a similar weight and balance. The images in Pre-War Surfing Photographs are the result of his preliminary endeavors, the works that mark the beginning of James's career. Throughout his life, James continued to perfect his skills going on to take a multitude of elegant surfing photographs, for which he became famous, until his death in the 1990s.
Customer Reviews:
REDDSURF.......2007-05-18
THIS IS A MUST FOR SURFERS. THE PICTURES SHOW US HOW SURFING IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS WERE. IF YOU ARE INTO THE HISTORY OF SURFING THIS A GREAT BOOK. IT IS PUT TOGETHER VERY WELL.
Research Material Unrealized to Sustain a Book.......2007-01-20
"Don James: Prewar Surfing Photographs" is a collection of black and white photos taken by someone who would go on to become one of the first great photographers of surfing.
Matt Warshaw assembled this heretofore unpublished collection of what can be described as among the very first attempts in California at taking surfing photos from the water from the perspective of another board ( water level). Water shots of surfing had been pretty common in the waters of Waikiki for a number of years, but were almost always taken from an outrigger canoes, thus the perspective was not actually from water level.
The book seems to have been thrown together quickly from photos that were "found" in Dr. James' desk, after he died. Given that some of them are out of focus and others seem almost comically composed, ( plenty of self-conscious posing and mugging for the camera) one can assume that the late Doctor was on to something when he decided to leave these in his desk. Perhaps some of these photos could have been used in the context of another book about the history of surfing, but to stand alone as the backbone of a specific book devoted to just these photos, was in my opinion a miscalculation or an after thought.
Warshaw is one of the preeminent chroniclers of the surfing phenomenon and history. His other works, "Photo/Stoner.....", "Surf Movie Tonight", and his "Encyclopedia Of Surfing" demonstrate his thorough grasp of the cultural, historical and socio-economic history of surfing. Warshaw's prose ( especially in his excellent "Photo/Stoner...") is among the best if not the best in the genre. Coupled with his keen eye for photos that capture an era and the reader's imagination, Warshaw has a commendable body of work. The Don James book cannot be listed among them.
The book contains a short preface from Warshaw but as previously stated many of the photos that follow are sub-par. Some of them would probably work well in framed large formats, at say a Restaurant in So. Cal.
The photos are left in a vacuum. No notations or specific identification of what we are looking at or an effort to put them into any surf history context.
Warshaw could have, should have fleshed this effort out more. Perhaps a bit more on Doctor James. Maybe some drawings or photos of what the camera rig looked like that took the photos. A map that shows geographically where the spots are.. A bit more insight into the people in the photos, a description of the nuances of the reefs and breaks portrayed, anything something, but alas nothing.
Another reviewer of the book mentioned that it captures a lost era and life style. Surfing back then was not considered a "life style", that did not happen until well after WWII. These were young men, who had the good fortune to discover and take part in a sport/art that was a welcome respite from the pressures of the economic conditions prevalent in the nation at the time. What was on their minds was more probably, "Am I going to make it socially-economically". James did by becoming a successful Dentist.
This book can only be recommended to the most hard core surfing history enthusiast, and even they ( I among them) will find this book, a less than valiant effort.
Don James:Prewar Surfing Photographs.......2007-01-09
This is an excellent collection of photos. Don did his best to capture a lifestyle that is long behind us.
Book Description
Every winter when the ocean buoys start to read 10-, 15-, and 20-feet, the coast of Half Moon Bay, California, is transformed by an enormous wave called Maverick's. Recognized as one of the most dangerous big wave surf breaks in the world, Maverick's is big, cold, and sickeningly powerful. It's the best show in town, but until now you could only see it through a pair of binoculars. Inside Maverick's brings you right onto the sickening ledge of a 75-foot wave with jaw-dropping photographs and gritty insider accounts of what it's really like out there. Sports columnist Bruce Jenkins and Maverick's surfer Grant Washburn have interviewed top big wave surfers Peter Mel, Zach Wourmhoudt, Evan Slater, and others to discuss every aspect of the freakish wave from the paddle out to the terrifying drop to the inevitable and brutal wipeouts. Covering fifteen years of incredible surfing with photos that have never before been published, Inside Maverick's grants unparalleled access to this legendary wave and the elite core of big wave surfers that are obsessed with challenging it.
Customer Reviews:
The Trifecta for a Mav's Book: Acton/Jenkins/Washburn.......2007-01-15
Inside Maverick's is an outstanding mix of excellent photos, writing and story telling. The book captures amazing stories from the unique mix of surfers that ride Maverick's. No extreme sport enthusiast's coffee table or bookshelf is complete without this book.
An Extraordinary Book.......2007-01-01
The stunning photos alone make this book worthwhile, but the surfing commentary is topnotch as well. A great companion to the DVD "Riding Giants", and you will recognize many of the people from the DVD in the book.
If you are in to any adventure sports or just an armchair surfer, this book is for you.
"Are you KIDDING ME??".......2006-12-28
"Are you KIDDING ME???"
Those are usually the first words out of anyone's mouth when they see this book on my coffee table. And then, usually I have to throw in "Riding Giants" and change any conversation we may have been having.
The photography and story telling present by Grant and team in top notch. Grant alone has spent more than a decade chronicling the history of the world's heaviest big wave, and it comes through in an amazing presentation that anyone who could possible comprehend what these guys do will appreciate.
But then again, comprehending just exactly what these guys are doing is pretty much impossible.
Maverick's - A Very Gnarly Place.......2006-09-28
Inside Maverick's is an extraordinary book. It is written & photographed by 3 extraordinary people and, as a team, there is not another 3 people alive who can match their intimacy and knowledge of Mavericks or who have the ability to capture in words and images the wild moods and moments of this world class break. This incredible book answers the question, what's it like and the answer is delivered by more than 50 voices, all of remarkable courage, strength and boldness. If you want to wade in, here are a few excerpts of what Maverick's has to offer up. Washburn describes an unforgettable wipeout: "I was shocked at the ferocity, the gravity, the mercilessness. Where was he? Would he be drowned? Dismembered? It seemed entirely possible that his head could be torn clean off. When the set was finished with him, he popped up, shaken, but alive. We knew he had been lucky" There is a chapter giving us expert weather advice, courtesy of Mark Sponsler: "Hurricane swells pale in comparison to Northern California surf, because all 12-foot waves are not the same. Some will seem to move a lot more water and travel much faster. The period is what makes the difference. The longer the period, the faster and stronger the wave. Pure chop has a period of 4 to 8 seconds, windswell 9 to 11 seconds, weak swell 13 to 15 seconds and strong swell 16 seconds or greater. Though a hurricane can generate waves with periods in the 14 second range, storms headed for Maverick's can generate waves with periods at 25 seconds or greater, the most powerful waves on Earth short of a tidal wave." And here is Evan Slater's description of the take off zone: "Only fifteen or twenty feet wide, swells march in as big, fat lumps, then double in size and fold over themselves as they hit the shelf. Within this zone, each wave has about a three-to-five foot wide ramp or make-able entry point, with a one-to-two-second window of opportunity. The location of the ramp changes with every wave; sometimes it's not there at all. Mistime it by a split second or take off a foot too deep, and you'll be freefalling. Guaranteed. Even after surviving countless beatings and a handful of two-wave hold-downs, I still have no clue why there's a 99.9 percent wipeout survival rate at Maverick's. Every time you go through one, you wonder in midthrashing, 'Is this the end for me?'" And there is a chaper on fear, "I love fear," says Don Curry, "I thrive on it. But there are times at Maverick's when it overwhelms you. There was a day in '97 when I was out there for three hours, just me and Jay and one other guy. None of us even took off--not once--and I'll admit to being psyched out. I felt like I was seeing things that I shouldn't have. Things that were not meant to be seen that close by the human eye. I felt like God and the devil were right there, and it could go either way." And finally, one of many tributes to Jeff Clark, this one written by John Raymond: "We owe everything to Jeff Clark, and nobody should forget that, I'm talking about going left or right with nobody else out there. I don't think people understand what kind of courage that took. It's one thing for the rest of us to come in afterward, but for him to go out, at a place that looks like it just might kill you, that's unbelievable. If it wasn't for Jeff, I'll bet that place would still be cloudbreaking, and nobody would be out there." If you're in search of inspiration, Inside Maverick's is where it's found. I can see this becoming my all-time favorite surfing book.
Customer Reviews:
Terrible!.......2007-07-25
Don't buy this book. The pictures are all from what seems to be a one-week fly-by roadtrip in the summer, and so every spot they take a picture of is flat. That's no help at all. The info they write on each break was probably copied from somewhere else online, and most of it is wrong and outdated. It sounds as if these guys don't even surf.
Not worth the money, go with Bank Wright's classic: Surfing California
Book Description
With its massive faces, punishing rocks, and treacherous currents, Maverick's presents a surfing challenge like no other. Author Matt Warshaw has updated his critically acclaimed illustrated history of Maverick's to cover important recent developments, and we've added a fresh new cover to kick this edition off in style. "A fascinating account," to quote Surfer magazine, it takes "a cue from Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm...Warshaw focused on a single event...and expands on it to illuminate an entire culture and its world beyond waves." The event was the death of celebrated surfer Mark Foo, one of those who congregate every winter to test themselves in the dark, foreboding waters. And what unfolds in Maverick's is no less than the story of big-wave surfing, from its ancient Hawaiian origins to modern tow-in riders. It's a book to be enjoyed not only by those who surf deep in the waves, but also by those whose taste for adventure is satisfied deep in the pages of a very good book.
Customer Reviews:
Visually appealing and well written.......2005-02-02
This is a fascinating look at the history and sport of big-wave surfing, focusing primarily on Maverick's but also discussing some of the other big-wave spots in the world, such as Todos Santos and Cortes Banks. If you have fond memories of the classic travel and surf-bum movie from the 60s, "The Longest Summer," about great surf spots around the world, you'll probably enjoy this book.
My review concentrates mainly on the dangers, since I was interested in researching that, but overall it's a beautifully illustrated and well-written account of the sport. The author starts with the early history back in the mid-1850s (when a legend has it that a Hawaiian was supposed to have ridden a tsunami back to shore).
I was interested because I used to live for many years near Maverick's, one of the premier big-wave surfing spots in the world, and I was curious what it had to say. I've never been a board-surfer myself, but grew up in southern Cal and did a lot of body surfing when I was younger. One time, I foolishly tried to body-surf a storm-driven 18-footer at Gillis Beach in southern California and got ground into the bottom and held down long enough so I thought I might not get back up to the surface in time. But I survived, and am now older and wiser.
I've had a few other misadventures, such as having been pulled out by a couple of riptides (including one that pulled me underneath the water briefly), so I've always had respect for the ocean, and I figured big-wave riding must surely be even more dangerous. Photos of lone surfers dwarfed by enormous waves have always amazed me and sent shivers up my spine, as I remembered my own scary encounter with a wave. Oddly enough, the author goes to some pains to dispell that notion by recounting various statistics and many anecdotal stories about the sport.
For example, although it's possible for a big-wave to hold a surfer underwater long enough to drown, this is very rare. More likely is for a surfer at the more crowded small-wave sites to get knocked unconscious by someone else's board who wiped out and to drown that way. Or there's the possibility of an unsupervised and inexperienced surfer drifting into a strong riptide. And as the author says, "No big wave surfer ever tested the odds as boldly as the untrained, pot-bellied, beer-staggered, citizen body-surfer."
Mark Renneker, a UCSF physician and avid big-wave surfer, gathered data and compiled statistics on injuries and concluded that cheerleaders were injured more often than big-wave surfers.
Peter van Dyke, another big-wave fan, had some other comments, pointing out that in one recent year, a half dozen Grand Prix racers were killed but not one surfer, and many more bull-fighters were killed. He said that big-wave surfers were so unconcerned about their fitness that they trained on "cake, Kool-Aid, ice cream, and cigarettes." He also pointed out that the last surfer to die at Waimea was Dickie Cross back in 1943. By 1994, no-one had yet died at Maverick's (although that would soon change with Mark Foo's death).
The book also contains a full chapter going into the events preceding and following Mark Foo's death. One of the things that becomes apparent there is that surfers aren't so much killed by the waves as by occasionally getting their ankle straps caught in underwater reefs so that they can't surface. Although no-one to this day knows what killed Mark Foo, it's possible this was part of it, and one of the other surfers had the same thing happen that very day, although he was able to get free just as he was running out of air and get to the surface.
Still, because of the perceived dangers, out of 5 million surfers world-wide, only about 100 are regular big-wave riders.
But as I said, the book also contains a more general discussion and history of the sport from the early days to the present, using Maverick's as its point of departure. There are many spectacular photos, including a fantastic two-page spread of Mike Parsons riding what's thought to be the largest wave ever ridden at Cortes Banks, an open ocean reef 100 miles to the west of San Diego.
By the way, I agree with the previous reviewer about possible huge waves up in Alaska. In fact, in Puget Sound they sometimes get 60-foot waves, and they can get 20 or 30 foot waves at the mouth of the Columbia river in Oregon, where the Coast Guard trains captains in the heavy surf handling of boats. Also, off the tip of South Africa there is an area where, because of the way the ocean currents travel up from Antartica combined with a sea floor that funnels the wave energy, it's thought that 100-foot waves can occur. (In fact, it's one of the few places in the world where large ships occasionally disappear, and it's suspected huge "rogue waves" may be responsible). There was also the finding of the underwater quake that caused a tsunami to go 2000 feet up the mountainside at an uninhabited bay up the west coast of Alaska. No-one saw it but the devastation was so dramatic it wasn't hard to figure out the cause when it was discovered later.
The largest wave ever recorded (at least by a reliable observer) was by the USS Ramapo back in the early 1930s. The ship was about 120 feet long and completely fit on the side of an enormous sea wave that passed under it in the mid-Pacific, and was estimated to be 134 feet high. Now that's a wave any surfer could envy.
Surfing To Your Death.......2003-04-11
The book "Maverick's The Big Story of Big-Wave Surfing" by Matt Warskaw is one of my favorite books. This book is about surfing and its mishaps and adventures. The title of the book is Maverick's, this relates to the book countless times because it is a gigantic storm of waves in California that come every year. There are many different stories, some that are good and some that are sad or not that interesting. This book talks about how surfing has changed over the years. Also how far it has come since 1914. It has some very fascinating stories from surfing a 25-foot wave to drowning and having your last ride. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 because of how interesting it was. I would also recomend this book to all ages because it is such a good book.
Look At That Wave!.......2002-10-10
This book gives you a feeling of "look at that wave!". If you really want to get an idea of big-wave surfing, find an IMAX theatre showing "Extreme". Then read this book. The photographs are good and the historical information is presented well and has some depth to it. You also get to see pictures of one of the biggest wipeouts ever!
great book!.......2001-12-29
Growing up in Montara just a few minutes north of Mavericks, no one I knew even talked about surfing there. The surfers from the coast surfed the Jetty, and the stronger surfers went to Montara. There were many places around that one could surf, but no one considered Mavericks a surf mecca. No one mentioned it's name.
Seeing is believing. If you have NEVER seen big wave surfing except in pictures you are missing out!...
Enjoy the book. It is a great piece of history about the location and surfing in general!
Look for DVD's and Videos of Mavericks at [their website], taken by locals Eric and Kurt at Powerline Productions.
Impressive , But Already Outdated.......2001-12-01
A very well written and produced coffee-table quality book on Nor Cal's most hyped big wave break. Rest assured that Matt Warshaw speaks from the heart when he describes the history, the characters, the swells and the waves that have converged at that awe-inspiring break outside Pillar Point. Mr. Warshaw is perhaps the greatest surf historian of all time, and before you question that statement, just wait for his upcoming release 'The Encyclopaedia of Surfing' to make the call.
This is mostly pre-tow era Mav's, and so naturally is already quite out-dated. But looking through the viewpoint of paddle-in only is still interesting for its historic relevance, and out-right machismo.
As impressive as this book is, I hesitate to give it five stars because, while it does capture many historic moments at Mav's, it is without the newer paradigms of Mav's. Warshaw did an excellent job chronicling an era of Mav's. But now, on many days thanks to tow-in, people are surfing the place quite different than what we see in this book. The Year of the Drag-In changed everything, and so did Nov. 20-21, 2001. I'd be delighted to see Matt do a follow-up.
Big wave surfers and Mark Sponsler take note. One of the reasons the Thanksgiving swell of 2001 was so huge was because the storm which produced it came quite close to California and covered a large swath of area with multivalent storm phenomena twisting within it- such storms are not uncommon far up in the Gulf of Alaska, or forming off of Russia and jumping over the Aleutians, tearing through the Bearing Sea. While the 100 foot wave may come to Maverick's once a year, or perhaps only once every few years or decade, it must be noted that in Alaska and especially the Aleutian Islands, these closer-range, huge and more direct storms and swells are a COMMON yearly occurence. Why do so many fishing boats disappear up there? Why do so many of the Aleutian Islands have surf erosion extending 300 feet up their lichen-green facades? Because the surf there gets truly epoch-making giant on a consistent basis! And many of the islands have plenty of lowlands, points, reefs, and bay entrances for serious big-wave set-up potential (Just ask Doc Renneker or Jeff Clark). Factors against the region are many: difficult access, colder temps and outright hazardous seas even for boats. But the scenario can also be mind blowing perfect- giant surf with offshore winds and rideable set-ups. The Aleutains are America's (and the surfing world's) forgotten isles. I know the Mav's crew has their hands full at Half Moon Bay, but if they ever get the growl for adventure to seek another 100 foot wave, I highly recommend looking more seriously at the Aleutains- our own Aleut Hawaii. With the right equipment and arranged lodgings, and with both air and overland transportation (all of this is really not a problem for some islands and areas), and with a few weeks to a month window, perhaps in October and November, I do believe multiple Mavericks await beyond the 50th parellel! But for now, hats off to Matt Warshaw, Daniel Duane, and the whole Mav's crew! You remake surfing history on a yearly basis! Be sure to visit me on the Rat Islands! You can stay in my sink hole!
Product Description
An avid Santa Barbara surfer gets into sea urchin diving as a means to explore the waves of the Channel Islands. His travels take him from the harbor at Santa Barbara to the harsh waters of the North Coast, and the shark-infested Farallon Islands. This intimate snapshot follows a unique group of underwater pioneers from 1978 through 1996, chronicling the adventure, humor, and tragedy of the people involved in this fascinating way of life.
Customer Reviews:
An amazing story that you'll find yourself sharing with others.......2007-08-30
As the last reviewer said, if your heart is in any way connected to the ocean, be it through surfing, boating, diving, fishing, or just spending time around the beach, you'll have a profound appreciation for this book.
Tom is an amazing story teller and Bluewater Gold Rush is an wonderful mix of adventure, friends, love, and loss. I often find myself retelling Tom's stories to friends, recounting them while I'm diving, or using new terms that I picked up from the book like "white buffalo". There are stories in the book that are laugh-out-loud funny and stories where you can't help but share the loss along with Tom when bad things happen to good people.
My one regret was purchasing the book in the middle of a particularly harsh work week. My job kept me really busy during the days and the book keep me up most of the nights. I simply couldn't put it down. I made it through the book by the end of the week but sleep deprivation almost did me in!
I had the opportunity to visit one the main settings in the book after I read it and I felt compelled to send Tom an email afterwards. I would like to close by sharing this email.
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I found myself in Santa Barbara for work a few weeks ago. I had some spare time one evening so I went down to the dock and stood there with a few dozen other spectators as the urchin boats unloaded. I couldn't help but wonder if any of the characters that I read about in your book were right there in front of me. I had a tremendous appreciation for the whole process after reading your book and found myself telling my coworkers tales from the book later that night at dinner.
The next night I managed to drag 3 of my buddies over to Brophy Bro's Bar. We went upstairs and I showed everyone the picture of Wiener. I volunteered to buy the drinks that night on the condition that they listen to a few stories first. I told them a little about your book and some of the adventures that you guys had. I told them about Wiener and how he got his nickname. I also told them about the shark. Of all of the things that you said about Wiener in your book and during your talk, the one that I always remember first was that he was the kind of guy would go up to his friends and give them a big hug and tell them that he loved them. We enjoyed our shots of tequila with the toast, "To Weiner - a man who wasn't afraid to tell his friends that he loved them!". It was a neat experience!
First rate, a must for lover's of the ocean and ocean lore.......2007-07-19
After reading excerpts in The Surfer's Journal and hearing friends in the West Coast water world rave about this gem of a book, I bought it and devoured it a weekend. This is a terrific read, at once an honest, deeply personal memoir and an entertaining swash-buckling tale of adventure. Kendrick writes in a clear, deceptively easy style that grabs you off the dock on the first page and the next thing you know, you're down 85 feet deep on a big money dive in the gin clear waters of a virgin reef by the Channel Islands. And it doesn't let up.
Kendrick was a member of the Santa Barbara, California-based sea urchin divers who pioneered this offbeat fishery, reaping its rewards and facing lethal dangers, opening new waters in Northern California, even--and this is insane--harvesting urchins at the Farallon Islands, the stalking ground of the Great White Shark. There are some great stories here, moments of danger and reward, death and laughter, all told with great insight. This is a memorable book that deserves to be in the book collection of anyone who loves the ocean and the lore of the sea.
Rumor has it that the author has been hired to write a screenplay adaptation. This book is an absolute natural for the big screen. Highest recommendation.
John Grissim, author, Pure Stoke and The Lost Treasure of the Concepcion
Identify.......2006-10-26
Picked this up from the author at a party recently. We had met for the first time & we found that we had quite a few similar experiences. Set about to read this book immediately it and finished it today.
Reading this book was a nostalgic experience for me. His writing style is friendly, accurate and fast. His years in the Urchin harvesting business were heady-times and he loved those years intensely; it comes across in many ways and makes this book a joy to read.
His take on things is not polished, gender neutral or politically correct which is absolutely refreshing. This is not a dull, chronological report of the evolution of a commercial diver, but a fast paced, personal account that will hold your interest and provide an education regarding one of the most interesting activities on the west coast in the last 50 years.
If you like diving, surfing, boats, fishing, interesting coastal stories or you just like to go out to the coast every once in a while, this is a book that I highly recommend.
Amazon.com
If you aren't already familiar with Kem Nunn's 1984 novel Tapping the Source, or if the idea of a "classic surfing novel" makes you either chuckle or shudder, be prepared to realign your literary biases. This is not a story of gilded surfers and sun-bleached blonds, of insouciant days and moonlit nights on the beach; instead, Nunn has crafted a darkly pensive meditation on solitude and desire. Ike Tucker is the quintessential loner, trapped by both circumstance and inclination in a California desert town, abandoned first by his mother and then by his sister, Ellen, who fled, in turn, toward the promise of the coast. His awareness of his own alienation, rendered in prose that is always elegant and often poignant, is haunting:
As he listened the train sounds grew faint and disappeared and someone shut off the music so there was just the silence, that special kind of silence that comes to the desert, and he knew that if he waited there would come a time, stars fading, slim band of light creeping on the horizon, when the silence would grow until it was unbearable, until it was as if the land itself were about to break it, to give up some secret of its own.
The secret, though, comes not from the desert but from the sea. Propelled by a mysterious rumor of his sister's murder, Ike enters the surfing mecca of Huntington Beach, whose bright façade conceals shadowy violence and joyless violation. Wistfully intent on understanding the men who might have killed his sister, Ike abandons himself to the hypnotic allure of the ocean: "The tide was low and the waves turned crisp black faces toward the shore while trails of mist rose from their feathering lips in the golden sun." Nunn's language effortlessly reflects Ike's desires and fears; the novel spirals gracefully into the young man's eventual immersion in the surfing culture and riffs on the terrifying ease with which that immersion becomes overwhelming. Although a murder may lie at the heart of the narrative, the novel is far more an exploration of character than of suspect and motive--and that exploration is infinitely rewarding. --Kelly Flynn
Book Description
People go to Huntington Beach in search of the endless parties, the ultimate highs and the perfect waves. Ike Tucker has come to look for his missing sister and for the three men who may have murdered her. In that place of gilded surfers and sun-bleached blondes, Ike's search takes him on a journey through a twisted world of crazed Vietnam vets, sadistic surfers, drug dealers, and mysterious seducers. Ike looks into the shadows and finds parties that drift towards pointless violence, joyless vacations and highs you might never come down from ... and a sea of old hatreds and dreams gone bad. And if he's not careful, his is a journey from which he will never return.
Customer Reviews:
Not much surfing, but a good mystery..........2007-08-23
If you want to know where some of the loonies in "John from Cincinnati," came from, check out this story. Not so much as surf novel as it is a novel that has surfing in it, just like the show. Still, a fairly good mystery, even if the ending is a bit contrived. A good "I've got nothing better to read," novel.
Billed as a "surfing novel," but it's much more..........2007-08-14
It's a very dark, gritty, hard-hitting mystery that is nearly impossible to put down. But it is also a story that poignantly juxtaposes the beauty and philosophy of surfing against the ugliness, immorality, violence, and loneliness of Huntington Beach. I felt a real sadness for the characters who had experienced the spiritual joy of surfing, but whose lives were now dirty with drugs, pornography, and unfulfilled dreams.
My first thought was that the writing was very much like Raymond Chandler, but without the sarcasm and humor. But then, Chandler wrote in the 1st person, a viewpoint that leaves lots of room for sarcasm and humor, depending on the character. "Tapping the Source" is written in the third person, with omniscient insight into the thoughts of Ike, the protagonist. Even so, Nunn pays homage to the Chandler technique of hard-hitting, efficient prose.
I could identify to some degree with Ike's "Deliverance"-like journey, not because I have lived through anything like it, but because of Kem Nunn's masterful evocation of the emotions and fear that a young innocent would feel. At times, the book got into areas that were almost too dark and repulsive to me. I'm not sure if the passages were overly sensational or true-to-life (like I said, I haven't lived through anything like this).
The book is billed as "The all-time great surfing novel," but "surfing novel" is too restrictive. It implies that only people into surfing would enjoy this book. I have an interest in surfing (especially after seeing "Step Into Liquid"), but have never surfed. That didn't stop me from loving this book. Kem Nunn weaves the surfing theme into the book, not gratuitously, but organically, so that it becomes important to the story. But it isn't so surf-heavy as to put off those who have no interest in surfing.
A great mystery, thriller, and coming-of-age story, written in efficient, evocative, and poetic prose.
I'm going back for more of Kem Nunn.
Surf life in Huntington Beach.......2007-07-13
This is a great book about the dark side of surfing life in Huntington Beach, California. Having lived there for a decade I felt like I was back there again. Kem Nunn is an master story teller.
Noir at its Finest!.......2007-04-18
"Tapping the Source" might be the quintessence of everything that's right about modern noir. I know that sounds really artsy and pretentious, but it's true. The reason why it's such a great modern noir lays in Nunn's writing, which unloads his story without any self-awareness, something that, by definition, is almost unheard of in traditional noir stories, yet it works so well here.
What it lacks in pretension it makes up in angst, but not in the raw, unadulterated, "I've been listening to too much Kurt Cobain" kind of angst. No, the story's protagonist, Ike Tucker, shows a kind of restricted, almost refined angst as he sifts his way through a crash course in post-pubescent adulthood while searching the ruddy beaches of California for clues about his murdered sister.
What makes this book even cooler is the supporting cast. While Ike is a cool character, developed so precisely that reading about his experience will bring back old hangovers and headaches from your own late teenage years, the real character development happens to the characters that interact and ultimately influence Ike. They're well explained and detailed throughout the story, each of them permanently decaled by the flaws and failures of their life, all of which are brazenly worn on their sleeves.
I could go on forever, because quite frankly, "Tapping the Source" may be my favorite book ever. But I wont, because this is really one of those books that should mean different things to different people, and that sole fact makes it worth picking up.
Will keep you up at night..........2006-09-12
You know you've been somewhat transformed by a story when it's done, and you can't think about anything else for a while. Or start another book.
Ike Tucker is a self-described "hick", a small town kid with very little motivation to escape his circumstances. Then a mysterious stranger shows up one day with information on Ike's sister, Ellen, who left home two years ago and hasn't been heard from since. With little more than a piece of paper with three names on it and a handful of cash, Ike sets out for Huntington Beach, California, to find out what happened to his sister.
Written in limited third person point-of-view, the story is viewed only through Ike's eyes. Yet Nunn does an amazing job of developing the other characters and their arcs. Ike Tucker's journey and transformation is completely engaging, from his introduction into the hard-core surf scene to the moment he becomes a true local. Along the way, Ike loses sight of his goal to the temptations of H.B.'s gritty underworld, and we are sucked in as helplessly as he is. It is only at the end we realize that Ike's derailment is his true path to self-discovery.
Nunn is a master at creating atmosphere. He does an incredible job at rendering setting--the fading buildings, the lost souls, the drugs, and the continual creep of industry encroaching on a California beach town gone to seed.
Amazon.com
Tossing aside a mundane and meaningless job, Daniel Duane went to Santa Cruz, California, to surf for year. The book he wrote about it, Caught Inside is something of a Walden of our times. It's wonderfully written, weaving wave wisdom with literary and historical references. And it's not for surfers only: even readers who have never seen the surf will find themselves taken up in the book's rhythms.
Duane sought the peace that surfing offers, and his impressions of surfing characters, sea life (otters, seals, and the great white shark everyone fears is right under you as you paddle your board), and the seasons by the sea are evocative and soothing to read.
Book Description
A wondrous, uproarious, and surprisingly informative account of a year spend surfing, Caught Inside marks the arrival of an exuberant new voice of the outdoors. This remarkable narrative of Daniel Duane’s life on the water is enhanced by good-humored explanations of the physics of wave dynamics, the intricate art of surfboard design, and lyrical, sharp-eyed descriptions of the flora and fauna of the Pacific wilderness. From Captain Cook and Mark Twain to Robinson Jeffers and Jack London, from portraits of famous (and infamous) surfers to an analysis of Gidget’s perverse significance, Duane expertly uncovers the myths and symbols bound up in one of our most vibrant and recognizably American subjects.
Customer Reviews:
Take me away..........2007-03-19
I haven't finished the book yet, but as far as I am concerned, this book deserves all the 5 stars I gave it!
I live in a place surrounded by mountains, where people are very narrow-minded, and distant sooo many miles from my beloved USA; therefore, I am always looking for a book that keeps me company during the cold months of winter that separates me from my summer vacation in California.
I need this to keep my mind occupied, and I definitely enjoy books that can describe the coast and the deep feelings and believings of surfers so thoroughly.
What I particularly appreciate about this book is the way he describes the surfing and other facts (history, sharks and otters ways of living, etc.) related to the life of a surfer.
I definitely recommend this book, you gotta give it a try!
Garbage.......2006-04-15
What a total waste of time this book was. I read, or should I say endured, about 60-pages of it before wanting to throw it out a closed window. No story-line, just some incoherent ramblings. He would have been better to take the year off and do a creative writing course.
Over Rated.......2005-06-12
This book is ok - not excellent - if you give it 5 stars you really need to read some more books. It is somewhat interesting in describing the life of a surfer but its extremely repetitive, it drags on and its lacking in any action and that certain something that seperates the wheat from the chafe.
You can almost feel the editor saying we need to spice this up - what about sharks - so there are forays into sharks and surfers. It gets ridiculous when he writes about being scared to pee in the water because a great white will smell it and come in and chomp you. Yes - that is really a huge concern I think 100 surfers were eaten by great whites last after they peed in the ocean.
If you are going to read this book - read the first few chapters and then put it down because the book, you won't miss anything later on - except for silly shark myths.
Dreams and books........2005-05-26
Look, If you want to read a book about the important aspects of life, more important than making money and going to school (sure it seems impossible and even I have fallen into the monotonous doldrum of capitalist existance) read this memoir. It will teach you life. I've read it 3 times over the past year and each time my yearning for the coast grows. Unfortunately I'm stuck in Cleveland, Ohio and all I have are dreams and books.
Dead on.......2005-05-13
Daniel Duane got it right in "Caught Inside". I know the neighborhood well and the town and coast that the author describes. I am a local. It is a time and place well observed and thoughtfully related. If you don't surf, don't be put off by the title. It is even better if you do surf, as you will recognize some of the characters in the book and the rich experiences in the water. With wry wit and enthusiasm, the tale unfolds of a year spent in the pure pursuit of living. By the way, it's freezing here, the surf sucks and the water is full of sharks.
Book Description
A complete guide to the surfing spots of California. Complete with lots of photos, maps, and descriptions of each and every spot along the beautiful California coastline.
Customer Reviews:
Good basic guide.......2007-03-10
The beauty of it is that it captures maybe 50% of the breaks on the CA coast - so it's not *too* detailed...
L.A. County Boy's Point of View.......2003-01-29
This is a handy book to keep around to find the best surf spot given a day's conditions. I have surfed every spot in L.A. County and found things haven't changed much since th 70's. However, the POP Pier, State Beach and Marina Del Rey breaks no longer exist. The pictures will keep you longing for those days though. Also, Sunset no longer works in Winter unless there is a big swell, or a negative tide. Also, a picture of Rincon is really a spot further east, but big deal. This book is well worth the small investment and essential when travelling away from your surfing comfort zone. This book is well overdue for an update to address the now more important issues of crowds and localism.
Classic Book.......2001-06-22
This book is a classic guide to surfing in California. It is a bit outdated in some respects, but one of the cool things about the book is that you can read about a time when Malibu and San Onofre weren't as crowded as they are now. A must have for every surfer.
California Dreamin'.......2001-04-11
Bank Wright traveled up and down the California coast for two years, personally checking the spots, taking photos, and gathering information from locals for this book on surf spots of the Golden State. Its becoming a real gem of spot history with some great photos and spot tide/swell info, and is an excellent book for both those new to surfing in California and for locals who are curious about how their spots are presented. The reasons I am not giving it five stars are because of some minor problems of Nor Cal information which could have serious consequences...
He writes of the Nor Cal coast as if its mostly fun and empty surf, but there is rarely, if ever any mention of how sporadic conditions can be, how heavy and often unrideable it often is, and how sharky some of these spots are. Tomales Bay, for example, should have some mention of how sharky it is. I'd hate to see someone from So Cal come up here and see those Uluwatu-like lefts firing off south Tomales Bay headland, paddle out there and most likely get grubbed by a whitey. Many other spots in Nor Cal are way more sharky than he mentions. But then again, as he was just passing through and probably didn't surf most these empty spots, how was he to know?
He talks about big combers coming into Nor Cal shores like its an empty Hawaiian dream. Sorry Bank, but when these beach breaks get big, which they usually are, its very, very difficult to make it to the outside, and sometimes impossible. He does have some of the more legitimate heavy-duty spots on the North Coast, such as Harbour Entrance. Bank has respected the spots that deserve to be kept quiet, and that he overlooked spots is all for the better- it keeps the element of exploration and new discovery alive in California surfing.
One other thing- I've never seen Pigeon Point breaking right as a big wave break. I've only seen it firing off of a mysto reef way outside the lighthouse, breaking left on that huge Tahitian swell we had a few years back. Pigeon Point is not a wise place to surf anyway- an abolone diver was attacked and killed there by a huge great white shark there less than 10 years ago. And as far as the Potato Patch goes- OK you Cortes Bank and Mav's tow-in crew- here's your new challenge. I have seen it good and clean with two guys out paddling in to big blue shoulders. The tide was medium and it was a big and perfect fall swell with very light offshores from due East. I swear it looked a lot like those Cortes Bank rights that Snips, Mel and Crew scored for the Project Neptune session, but a bit more manageable yet. These waves were so big that they properly scaled to the tankers which passed before them! I even have pictures of that day to prove it. On a good fall it might get good for more than few days. Check it from Deaddies' with binoculars and fling yourself off the cliff while you're ahead!!!
Useful, though sometimes loathed.......2001-01-01
This book is one of the most useful tools that a surfer can use. This book has had me travel from my home in San Diego to all around the rest of Southern California. The most useful information is the tide height and swell directions to make each spot go off. Even though I hate the fact that the book helps tons of traveling surfers find there way into the spots around my home on the best days, I still value my prized copy. I think that Bank Wright should do an updated version because some of the names of the spots have changed as well as some new spots that are being surfed. I also think some of the spots need to be reconsidered on how dangerous they are (Torrey Pines isn't a "big wave break"). Overall I think this book fits in with surfline.com and those surf report faxes, because they are okay for you to use, but you hate when others do the same. Just buy the book go up and down the PCH.
Book Description
Surfer Magazine offers the ultimate guide to catching the best waves from the pristine points of Santa Barbara to the sunny beaches of San Diego. For more than 250 spots, this sturdy manual sporting a water-resistant cover delivers a clear assessment of wave quality, prime wave conditions, and local hazards (both natural and manmade). Informative text answers the burning questions that surfers often pose: What tide? What wind? What swell? How are the locals? Are they worse than the sharks or the traffic? With helpful maps, photos, and directions, this Surfer's Guide is sure to become the gold standard for anyone looking to score the perfect wave.
Customer Reviews:
The photos are pretty.......2007-09-12
If you saw a book on hiking trails or campsites that included the following directions, "Public access exists, but out of respect to the locals, you'll have to do some exploring your own damn self," would you purchase it? Probably not. But in the secretive and hostile world of surfing we don't have much choice. You'll have to put up with sardonic commentary, and contend with poor directions, but this is still the only up-to-date guide to surf spot still in print.
Worth the paper it's printed on.......2006-10-31
This is a relatively comprehensive guide to Southern California surf spots. The book includes maps and descriptions of the ideal swell direction for each of the breaks it lists. Unlike other guides, however, it often omits crucial information about how tide levels affect many of the breaks it lists.
Although some will be upset by the editors' inclusion of "secret" spots like Hazard Canyon and the Indicator at Lunada Bay, the rest of us are smart enough to realize that these spots haven't been secret since about the time surfboards were carved out of balsa wood.
One of the best features of this book (and its companion guide to NorCal) is the waterproof paper it's printed on. All in all, this is a fine edition, and a slight but significant improvement over its predecessors.
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- The Most Beautiful Villages of Provence (Most Beautiful Villages)
- The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn (Neighborhoods of New York City)
- The People's Guide to Mexico (Peoples Guide to Mexico)
- The Rough Guide to Barcelona Map (Rough Guide City Maps)
- The Rough Guide to Cambodia 2 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Books Index
Books Home
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General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photo/Stoner: The Rise, Fall, and Mysterious Disappearance of Surfing's Greatest Photographer
Leroy Grannis: Surf Photography of the 1960s and 1970s
Surfing Photographs from the Seventies Taken by Jeff Divine
Don James: Prewar Surfing Photographs
Ron Church: California to Hawaii 1960 to 1965
